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Can Drones smell or detect Virgin Queens

According to my calculations and the fact that I had nurse bees cutting open the ends of some of the queen cells yesterday, my queen should have started emerging today.

My hive has a small 3/16 side vent with screen in it. This is due to the box has slots for a devider and we notched through the handle grooves when I cut the slots. So I screened it over and they can close it or not as they like.

Well this morning it was in the mid 50s and the bees were very inactive for most the morning. As temps moved into the 70s the drones were out in force and all swarming in the air around the small slot. Some were entering the hive thru the bottom entrance and I didn't see any being driven off by workers, but man, they were is swarm in the air around that vent (one on the down wind side of the hive). None bunched around any opening, just there.

Maybe love in the air (and maybe I might get a mated queen before winter).

I am new at this but sure seemed like something in that section of the hive had them attracted. Does anyone know if the virgin queens emit a lure to make drones chase them.

Re: Can Drones smell or detect Virgin Queens

The mating ritual of the honey bee is a mysterious affair, occurring at dizzying heights in zones identifiable only to a queen and the horde of drones that court her. Now a research team led by the University of Illinois has identified an odorant receptor that allows male drones to find a queen in flight. The receptor, on the male antennae, can detect an available queen up to 60 meters away.

Re: Can Drones smell or detect Virgin Queens

A virgin queen in a cage and plenty of helium balloons. A fishing rod helps a lot in releasing and retrieving the balloons. Binoculars are a great idea - I hadn't thought of that. You can usually spot the black comet of drones. The DCA's are often 30 to 100 feet above ground, but sometimes higher.

A map with a grid marked over it is important. A few teams in cars can cover a county in a month if they hustle. Note the "dry areas" (with no drones around for miles) as well, these are the places to set up a "semi - controlled" open mating yard.

Re: Can Drones smell or detect Virgin Queens

It is commonly used seine to sample river fish populations, Elver fishing, minnow colllecting, etc. The name of that configuration escapes me, however. Catfish farm suppliers used to have them 40 years ago.

Re: Can Drones smell or detect Virgin Queens

Originally Posted by marshmasterpat

Well this morning it was in the mid 50s and the bees were very inactive for most the morning. As temps moved into the 70s the drones were out in force and all swarming in the air around the small slot. Some were entering the hive thru the bottom entrance and I didn't see any being driven off by workers, but man, they were is swarm in the air around that vent (one on the down wind side of the hive). None bunched around any opening, just there.

I am new at this but sure seemed like something in that section of the hive had them attracted. Does anyone know if the virgin queens emit a lure to make drones chase them.

Same exact thing happen at my new queen castle on Monday and I had the same question. So glad you asked!

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. Prvb 16:24
March 2010; +/- 30 hives, TF